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Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is ecology

A

The study of an organisms environment and the factors that determine their distribution and abundance in that environment

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2
Q

Ecosystem

A

A unit containing all of the organisms and their environment, interacting together in a given area

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3
Q

Habitat

A

The place where an organism lives

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4
Q

Population

A

A group of organisms of the same species living in a habitat

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5
Q

Community

A

All the populations of the different species living in a habitat

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6
Q

Producer (autotrophs)

A

An organism that makes its own organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight

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7
Q

Consumer (heterotrophs)

A

An organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms

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8
Q

Decomposed (heterotrophs)

A

An organism that gets its energy from dead or waste organic matter

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9
Q

Food chain

A

A chart showing the flow of energy from one organism to the next beginning with a producer

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10
Q

Tropic levels

A

The position of an organism in a good chain or food web or the number of energy transfers from the energy sources

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11
Q

Food web

A

A network of interconnected food chains showing the energy flow through part of an ecosystem

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12
Q

Tropic level 1

A

Producer

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13
Q

Tropic level 2

A

Herbivore (primary consumer)

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14
Q

Tropic level 3

A

Carnivore (secondary consumers)

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15
Q

Tropic level 4

A

Carnivore (tertiary consumers)

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16
Q

What are quadrants used in?

A

Sampling plants - they mark off the exact area so that the plants in that area can be identified and counted

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17
Q

What are quadrants made of?

A

Metal, wood plastic

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18
Q

Using a quadrat:

A

1) grid area for sampling
2) quadrat should be placed randomly within the grid
3) count number of organisms inside the quadrat
4) use several quadrat samples
5) use sample to calculate numbers in total areas

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19
Q

What do you do for motile organisms with quadrats?

A

Aerial sampling
Counting from an aircraft
Multiplying the average number counted in the quadrats by the total area

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20
Q

How to make using quadrats more reliable for motile organisms

A

Repeat sampling over a number of years
Under similar conditions
Same time of year
Allow for animals not seen

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21
Q

Name 3 ways which ecosystem’s interact with each other

A

Feeding amount organism s
Competition
Interactions between organisms and the environment

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22
Q

Biotic Factors - which influence the numbers and distribution of organisms in an ecosystem

A 
Availability of food + competition for food resources 
Parasitism
Predation 
Disease
Presence of pollinating insects
Availability of nest sites
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23
Q

Abiotic factors

A

Climate (light intensity, water availability)
Hours of daylight
Salinity (salt content)
Pollution
Soil conditions (clay no tent, nitrate level, particle size, water content, pH)

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24
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The term refers to the variety of life on earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems

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25
Q

Order of levels

A

Producer - primary consumer - secondary - top carnivore

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26
Q

What do pyramids of numbers do?

A

Visualises/ explains the numbers in the food chain/web

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27
Q

What happens to the energy as you go up the levels in a pyramid of numbers?

A

Energy is lost to the surroundings

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28
Q

What is biomass

A

Biomass is the total dry mass of one animal/plant species

Pyramids of biomass - bars get narrower towards the top

29
Q

Why is it difficult to get valid data for a pyramid of biomass

A
  • measuring dry biomass means that all the water has to be removed
  • an organism Amy belong to more than one tropic level, so it cannot easily be represented by one bar
30
Q

Pyramids of energy

A

Energy decreases going up

Based on per year/ per area

31
Q

Example :

When a rabbit eats grass, not all of the materials in the grass end up as rabbit, why are there losses

A

Some parts of the grass aren’t eaten
Some parts are not digested and so are not absorbed
Some of the materials absorbed form excretory products
Many of the materials are repaired to realise energy with the loss of CO2 and water

32
Q

Why is only 10% of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next

A

90% is lost through heat, undigested material, respiration to release energy for life processes, not eaten food, excretion

33
Q

Give one way of transferring energy between organisms

A

Feeding

34
Q

Give the process of flow of energy through ecosystems

A

1) photosynthesis fixes sunlight energy into chemicals (glucose)
2) respiration releases energy from organic compounds
3) if energy released is used to make new cells, then energy remains fixed in molecules
4) if energy released is used for other processes - escape as heat

35
Q

Which molecules contain carbon?

A

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, DNA

36
Q

Name the 5 important processes in cycling carbon

A 
Photosynthesis 
Feeding and assimilation 
Respiration 
Fossilisation 
Combustion
37
Q

What does feeding and assimilation do in cycling carbon

A

Pass carbon atoms already in organic compounds along food chains

38
Q

What does respiration do in cycling carbon

A

Produces inroganic CO from organic compounds as they are broken down to release energy

39
Q

What does photosynthesis do in cycling carbon

A

Fixes carbon atoms from CO2 into organic compounds

40
Q

What is nitrogen present in

A

Proteins, amino acids, most vitamins and DNA

41
Q

Name the key processes in this cycle

A

Feeding and assimilation
Decomposition
Nitrification

42
Q

What does decomposition do in the nitrogen cycle

A

Decomposition by fungi and bacteria produces ammonia from the nitrogen in compounds like proteins and DNA

43
Q

What does denitrifying bacteria do

A

Use nitrates as an energy source and convert them into nitrogen gas - reduces the amount of nitrate in the soil

44
Q

What do nitrogen fixing bacteria in root nodules do

A

Make ammonia, this is converted by the plant into amino acids

45
Q

What is produced when fossil fuels burn

A

Selfie dioxide and carbon monoxide

46
Q

What is CO

A

Carbon monoxide

  • Colourless, odourless and tasteless
  • Passes into red blood cells after breaking it in
  • binds more strongly to haemoglobin than oxygen does
47
Q

What is SO2

A

Sulfur dioxide

  • sharp, choking smells
  • when sulfur dioxide dissolved in water droplets in clouds it causes acid rain
48
Q

What does acid rain do

A

Damages waxy layer of tree leaves

Makes it more difficult for trees to absorb minerals

49
Q

What does the acidification of lakes do

A

Causes death of bacteria and algae; death of fish and amphibian eggs; change in ecosystems)

50
Q

What does acidification of soil do?

A

Leaching of some ions in lakes, kills fish, root hairs less effective at absorbing minerals so tree growth is slowed)

51
Q

What are the natural causes of air pollution

A

Volcanic eruptions and lightning
Water vapour from clouds
Rain

52
Q

What are the human causes of air pollution

A

Burning fossil fuels

53
Q

List the key greenhouse gases

A

Water vapour, CO2, nitrous oxide, methane, CFCs

54
Q

Why is there more CO2 in the atmosphere

A

Increased combustion of fossil fuels

Increased deforestation

55
Q

Name a few of the consequences of global warming

A

Melting polar ice caps - sea level es would rise
Change in the major ocean currents - warmer waters flow into previously cooler areas
Change in global rainfall patterns - could result with a rise in temp

56
Q

What happens if there is a rise in temperature

A

More evaporation from surface of the sea
More water vapour in atmosphere
Long term climate change

57
Q

What causes water pollution

A

The discharge of harmful substances into rivers, lakes and seas

58
Q

What happens if untreated sewage gets into rivers

A

Microorganisms decompose it, this means that due to the oxygen from the water usually being used for aerobic respiration, there is less oxygen dissolved in water

Fish and other aquatic creatures will die

59
Q

What is the sequence of events do eutrophication

A 
Increase in mineral ions 
Algal bloom Death of algae
Decomposition by aerobic bacteria 
Bacteria use up oxygen 
Fish die and
60
Q

Where do excess mineral come from

A

Sewage and artificial nitrate/phosphate fertiliser

61
Q

What are the problems with fertilisers

A

When they are washed off the land by rainwater into rivers - leaching
Causes an increase in the levels of minerals

62
Q

What is the full process of eutrophication

A

Sewage/fertiliser run off increases the nutrient concentration of the water
Extra nutrients cause increased growth of algae
Algal bloom covers the waters surface killing any plants below surface
Algae also die as nutrients run out
Aerobic respiration decompose the dead plants
Bacteria use up oxygen for respiration
Fish die from lack of oxygen

63
Q

What happens if their is reduced soil quality

A

No trees/plants to return minerals to the soil when they die

Crops planted in deforested areas rapidly use up minerals from soil

64
Q

What happens if erosion occurs

A

Soil is exposed due to lack of tree cover

Soil washed into rivers - rising water levels and flooding lowland areas

65
Q

What is global warming

A

Increase in the mean temperature of the earth

66
Q

What is a greenhouse gas

A

A gas that absorbs infrared radiation from the sun

67
Q

Nitrous oxides

A

Released from fertilise production

Released in treatment of domestic waste water

68
Q

Methane

A

From rice paddy fields

Cattle farming

69
Q

CFCs

A

Aerosol sprays

Biology (20 decks)

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